French Open 2015 Schedule: Thursday Replay TV Coverage and Live Stream Guide
After 10 days of action at Roland Garros, the 2015 French Open is down to the final four for the men's and women's championship. The women take center stage on Thursday with Ana Ivanovic vs. Lucie Safarova and Serena Williams vs. Timea Bacsinszky for the right to play for a title.
Three of those four women have been a pleasant surprise thus far because there weren't expectations for them to reach this point. It's always nice to get new blood in the mix for a title, though all eyes will be on Williams to take care of business because she's the biggest star in the group.
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Everything will be decided starting on Thursday in Paris, France. This tournament has been unpredictable thus far, so there's going to be plenty worth watching when the action gets underway.
Here's where you can check out the action again if you miss it or want to see it again, both on television and the Internet.
| Thursday, June 4 | 2 p.m. | Tennis Network | NBC Sports Live Extra |
Ivanovic vs. Safarova is the first match on Philippe-Chatrier Court, followed by Williams vs. Bacsinszky when the opener ends.
Ivanovic hasn't made it past the fourth round in this event since winning in 2008. Safarova had just one semifinal appearance in a major event prior to this year (2014 Wimbledon). Bacsinszky had never advanced past the third round in a major tournament before this run.
Williams is always expected to be in a position to win, though she was knocked out before the third round at Roland Garros in two of the previous three years.
The top-ranked player did look like she was in her element against Sara Errani in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, winning in straight sets for the first time since the first round. After the match, Williams said she was on top of things against a quality opponent, per Jim Caple of ESPNW.com.
"I definitely felt more in control, and I felt I had to be again going up against a player that plays well on this surface in particular,'' Williams said. "I had only one option, and that was to gain control of myself, my emotions and my game.''
Despite her run of dominance over the last 15 years, Williams is often a player who can show multiple sides of her personality in a single match. That's why there tends to be a frustration in her losses, because she beats herself as much as opponents tend to.
Bacsinszky's run has been a great story because she nearly quit the sport two years ago, with Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times noting the 25-year-old took "internships to prepare her for hotel management school."
The Swiss star has defied all odds to reach this point, and Steve Tignor of Tennis.com couldn't make the case for Basinszky to keep the miracle run going:
"She is the heavy favorite, and she played her cleanest match of the tournament in beating Sara Errani in the quarters. But Bacsinszky could make this interesting. She's a gamer who isn’t fazed by much, and each time she has played Serena she has pushed her to the limit in the first set. All of that said, a Bacsinszky win over Serena at this stage of a Slam might be the biggest upset in tennis history.
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The last time Williams and Bacsinszky met was in the Indian Wells Masters quarterfinals in March, as the American won 7-5, 6-3. Williams has struggled in first sets at the French Open thus far, so Bacsinszky has to take advantage of that opening if it's there to secure a victory.
Ivanovic and Safarova have a longer history competing against each other, as Caple noted Safarova holds a slight edge in the rivalry:
Prior to cruising past Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, Ivanovic was walking a tightrope at the French Open with three three-set wins in four matches. That does bode well for her resolve and mindset coming into the match against Safarova, as she won't buckle by dropping the first set.
These two have yet to play in 2015, but Ivanovic won their last match in September 2014. However, Safarova had won their previous five matches, including a straight-set romp at Roland Garros last year.
Safarova also has the best win of the tournament, knocking off defending champion and No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova in the fourth round. The 28-year-old has slowly been building to something big with a run to the semifinals at last year's Wimbledon and is finally following up on that right now.
Women's tennis is in an excellent place with these unique, diverse talents bringing their skills to the forefront at Roland Garros. Williams is the biggest star in the bunch, but the rise of Ivanovic, Safarova and Bacsinszky is what makes the semifinals must-see television.
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